Combined sifter and strainer.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908 A J. o. BOWB. COMBINED SIFTER AND STRAINER. APPLICATION FILED DEC 31 1907 INVENTOR. jiamm fi BY WITNESSES: O J

A TTORNE Y. r

nnrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. BOWE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LOUIS PJCORNET, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

COMBINED SIFTER'AND STBAZNER Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented. Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed December 31,- 1907. Serial'No. 408,794.

To allwhom iii-may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES C. BOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Indian apolis, in the county of'Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Sifter and Strainer; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this s ecification.

This invention re ates t'o culinary utensils and especially to a utensil whereby flour, meal or other substances may be quicklyand thoroughly sifted, which utensil may be quickly adapted to be used as a plain strainer, the invention relating particularly to the vessel from which the substances are to be sifted or strained and to the agitator for agitatingflour or meal while being sifted so asto pre-- vent its packing in the vessel. I

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved combined sifter and strainer which may be quickly changed so as to adapt it either for sifting purposes or for straining purposes to provide an improved utensil of the above-mentioned character which maybe constructed at relatively small expense and be durable, convenient and economical in use, a further object being to provide an article of this character which may be adapted to be nested for shipment, so as to occupy the minimum amount of space.

With the above-mentioned and minor objects in view, the invention consists in an improved combined sifter and strainer comrising a vessel of pan shaped form having a oraminous or reticulated or wire-cloth bottom, and an agitator having a handle and provided with a guide plategadapted to engage the side of the vessel, the agitator o crating upon a guide upon the bottom of tffe vessel, said vessel having novel features of construction, and the agitator having u ward extending projections for loosening t e substances that may have a tendency to pack in the vessel. And the invention consists further in the arts and" combinations and arran ements. of parts as hereinafter particu-- larly escribed and defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings igure 1 isa top plan of the complete sifter an strainer con-' structed substantially inaccordance with-the invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Figs. 3 and 4, fragim'entarysectional viewsapproximately on t e line A A in Fig. 1 Fig.

5, a vertical sectional view of a complete article on the line A A in Fig. 1; 6, a perspective view of the vessel; and, Fig. 7, a perspective view of theagitator.

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawings designate like elements or features of construction.

, In a practical embodiment of the invention, a pan-shaped vessel isprovided which preferably is: formed of pressed tin plate or similar material, and has an annular side a. tapering so that the top of the vessel is greater in diameter than the bottom thereof, the bottom portion'of the side having an inwardly extending ledge forming an annular gui h late I) which may be suitably formed of an mturned portion of the side a, the top of the side having an external annular flange c. A

reticulated or wire-cloth bottom (1 is attached against the under side ofthe ledge or guide, andthe lower portion of the side -ais provided with a bottom ring e that extends below the plane of the bottom (I and serves as a stand for the vessel. One portion of the side a supports a guide f that is arran ed slightly above the guide b, and is preferab y provided with a flange 9 secured to the inner side of the side a, and the guide preferably is reinforced by a brace h exten ing from the extremity thereof and having a lipi secured to the side 3 a above the flange g. Approximately opposite tothe guide f is a device serving both as a guideopposite to the guide I) and also as a latch for retaining the agitator in the vessel,

the device preferably. comprising a spring arm secured by solder is to the exterior of the rmg e, thearm being bent to form a loop 'shaped finger hold lfrom which extends a short arm m having aprojection n that extends through an aperture 0 in the ring e and the side a above the guide'b,;,the projection having an upturned part n 'to prevent the- -projection n from being withdrawn through the aperture.

The improved-agitator comprises prefer ably an annularframe 'p ada ted'to rotate on the guide bbeneath. thegui ve f and the projection n, a. suitable number of arms q radi joinedifto the frame, the crooks hav ing, upturned endssfor loosening the flour or meal ating from a central point within the compass. I of the {frame and having crooks r suitably toprevent packing thereof on the bottom of the vessel. The arms are connected together preferably by solder t. The frame is provided at one side thereof with a guide plate at which maybe composed of any suitable material adapted to present considerable bearing surface against the inner side of the side a of the vessel, the top-of the guide plate having a loop shaped handle .0 thereon that extends over and outwardly beyond the j flange c of the vessel, so that the loop may be used for hanging up the vessel with. the agi-' tat-or therein, and also be used for operating the agitator.

The agitator may suitably be composed ofwire, but it will be obvious that it may be formed of any other suitable m'aterialf In practical use, the projectionnshoulrl be drawn outwardly by means of the finger'hiold Z in order to either insert the agitator in the vessel or to remove it therefrom. VVlien' removed, the vessel may be used in the usual way as a strainer, and in some cases may be 1 used alone for sifting purposes, and when 1t is desirable to use an agitator, the improved agitator may readily bev placed in position and should beoperated by means of the handle c which may be moved forward and backward, and the guide late a slidingagainst the smooth side a will serve to prevent the frame pfrom binding and ,will rotate smoothly as though it were pivoted at the middle of the bottom, the frame p slidin smoothly on the guide I). The late a will travelonly between the guice. f and the projection n. After usingth'e even without requiring the removal of the agitator, and all parts may be readily cleansed whenrequired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a sifter or strainer, the combination of a vessel having an internalannular guide connected to its side, aforaminous bottom supported under the guide, a fixed guide on the-side of the vessel above the annular guide, and a movable guide mounted on'the side of the vessel above the annular guide, with an agitator to be mounted'removably on the annular guide under the fixed and movable guides.

-2. In a sifter or strainer, the combination of-a vessel having an internal annular guide connected to its side, a foraminous bottom supported under the guide, a fixed guide on utensil, any remaining sub- I stance thereln may bereadlly poured out the side of the vessel above the annular guide, and a movable guide mounted on the exterior of the side of the vessel and extending through the side 'and'above the annular guide, with an agitator to be mounted on the annular guide under the fixed and movable guides. v

3. Inra sifter or strainer, the combination of an agitator comprising an annular frame having a handle attached thereto, a plurality of arms connected together and each arm having a crook that is connected to the frame, each crook having an u turned extremity, with a vessel to receive tide agitator, a guide in the vessel for the agitator, and a forami nous bottom in the vessel under the guide.

' 4. In a sifter and strainer, the combination of a vessel com rising an annular apertured slde, an lnterna annular guide connected to the lower portion of the side, a forammous .bottom connected to the side beneath the annular guide, a bottom ring attached to the side of the vessel, and an agitator comprising an annular frame mounted movably on the annular guide and provided with a guide ex tending from the frame against the side of the'vessel to the top thereof to be guided thereby and having an apertured handle, arms connected to the annular frame, a guide fixed to the side of the vessel above the annular guide, and a movable guide mounted on the exterior of the side of the vessel and extending through the aperture therein and above the annular guide.

' 5. In a sifter or strainer, the combination Q of a vessel with an inclined side and having an internal annular guide connected to the side, a forammous bottom supported by the side under the annular guide, a fixed guide on the side of the vessel above the annular guide,

a movable guide mounted on the side of the.

vessel above the annular guide, and an agitator comprising an annular frame mounted movably-on the annular guide under the fixed and movable guides and provided with a from the relatively broad guide extending to the top side to be 

